Dr. Lawrence N. Virgin completed his doctorate in structural mechanics in 1986 at University College London. Since 1988, he has been at Duke University, where he teaches and conducts research in engineering mechanics. His interests are centered on the instability behavior of nonlinear dynamics systems in the context of experimental vibrations, with applications including aeroelasticity, systems with discontinuities (impact and friction), fluid-structure interaction, and buckling. He is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. He is the author of Introduction to Experimental Nonlinear Dynamics, published by Cambridge University Press.